Whatever the case, their chemistry is palpable on screen - sweet, winning, and rather sexy. Flynn was reportedly a bit of a troublemaker on set, reserving most of his goodwill only for Havilland. Olivia de Havilland is a gorgeous, sly, and feisty Maid Marian. So iconic is Flynn's portrayal that it is always his portrayal of 'Robin Hood' that is parodied in satires, like Mel Brooks' 'Men in Tights.' No one could charge into a room, swish a sword andĬharm the ladies like he could - they didn't coin the phrase "in like Flynn" for nothing. Though he was quoted later as having been "bored" by the role, after achieving stardom with earlier, similar efforts like 'Captain Blood' (1935) and 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' (1936), you wouldn't know it from his performance. So what if the sets look phony, the costumes goofy, and the dialogue sounds like something out of an 'Airplane!' movie? Today's big-budget, effects-laden snooze-fests would kill to earn even a tenth of the laughs, thrills, and swoons that this little baby manages, seemingly without even breaking a sweat.įlynn was the perfect leading man. Seventy-odd years on, it holds up rather splendidly as high adventure, a soaring love story and good, old-fashioned popcorn entertainment. It was during one of those film classes that I was first introduced to the 1938 swashbuckler 'The Adventures of Robin Hood.' Getting past Errol Flynn's pageboy haircut and green tights, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Morals and antiquated sensibilities? It has only been as an adult, after having been forced to sit through semester after semester of cinema history courses in film school, that I developed an true appreciation for the classics. Growing up, I had little interest in films that pre-dated the late 1960s - why would I want to watch a movie about a bunch of old dead people, with their silly Of course, I can't say I'm above such juvenile snobbery myself. For some reason, audiences find it hard to relate to characters and stories without modern dress, manners, and technology. Sad as it may be, the fact remains that younger generations rarely want anything to do with classic films.
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